Those who have read my posts know that I support the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” just as I support the assignment of women in the military to any and all duties they are qualified to perform—that would include serving aboard our nuclear submarines. The debate on the latter—women in submarines—continues after top Navy and defense officials made the decision to lift the ban on female submarine crew members. For example, in a recent article, the Washington Times restates...

Imagine your only son is killed in Iraq or in Afghanistan while serving his country. Imagine the day arrives for your son’s funeral and family and friends are somberly gathered for the services. Imagine a group of people appearing at your son’s funeral carrying signs proclaiming “God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed,” “Fag Troops,” “You’re Going to Hell,” “God Hates You,” “Semper Fi Fags,” “Thank...

A short while ago, I commented on a thread about the rash of violence, threats, harassment and insults Democratic legislators have endured during the last few days as a direct result of their positions and votes on health care reform. This is part of my comment on the ordeal Representative Bart Stupak has been through because of the way he voted on the legislation: I am referring to the unspeakable abuse, threats, ridicule, accusations, etc. Representative Stupak and his family have endured since...

Already back in the winter of 2008, even before Barack Obama had taken the oath of office, cyberspace was rife with rumors and innuendoes about how the new president would cut off funds for TRICARE For Life; how he would “[cut] it out of the budget as a means to provide funding for those things he promised during the campaign.” (TRICARE for Life is an excellent and essential secondary health insurance program supplementing Medicare for military retirees and their families.) The internet was...

A couple of days ago, I posted a European reaction to the passage of Health Care Reform legislation. It was an article in the German Spiegel, commenting on the good and the bad consequences and implications of such legislation for America, Europe and Obama. Of course there have been numerous other reactions worldwide, and of course some may not be interested in or particularly care for what the rest of the world thinks or says about us. But for those who do, here is another interesting reaction:...

Plenty will be said an written by politicians, journalists and pundits about the historic event we just witnessed in the East Room of the White House: President Obama’s enactment of the most extensive health care legislation in decades—perhaps in our history. As an American, I just want to express my thanks and my personal sentiments about this landmark legislation. First, as I have said so often, I really have no dog in this fight. Both as active duty and retired military I have always...

After last night’s passage of Health Care Reform in the House of Representatives, we have been flooded with American views on and analyses of the good, the bad and the ugly of that historic bill. But, what does the rest of the world say about it? Germany’s Spiegel has a provocative piece this morning with the interesting title,” US Health Care — Good for America, Bad for the World.” More interesting, the author, Gregor Peter Schmitz, says that “the most important reform America has...

It’s official, and it’s historic. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who had led a group of anti-abortion lawmakers in opposing the bill, has just announced that he will vote “yes” on Health Care Reform legislation. Stupak’s “yes” vote will probably bring additional yes votes from other anti-abortion legislators and ensure that Democrats finally have (more than) the votes they need to pass Health Care Reform in the House, and that millions of Americans may finally get the health care they...

NBC News’ Chuck Todd reports that Rep. Bart Stupak is now poised to support HCR legislation in the House: The chances for House passage increased Sunday afternoon after a possible agreement between Democratic leaders and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who had led a group of anti-abortion lawmakers in opposing the bill, was revealed. Stupak is now poised to support the bill, NBC’s Chuck Todd reported. Stupak told CNN that there is no deal yet but that he and the White House are “close”...

It has become almost a fait acccompli for some readers to complain when a contributor brings to readers’ attention some unpleasant or unflattering news about members of the “other party.” And perhaps the number and type of such reports tilts more one way than the other. It is also true that members of the party that “made the news” will often not only point such unbalance out, fact-check it, bring up mitigating or extenuating circumstances, but will also counter with some balancing “but...

The Washington Post reports that House Democratic leaders say they will take a separate vote on the Senate health care bill, rejecting an earlier, much-criticized strategy that would have permitted them to “deem” the measure passed without an explicit vote. For more details, click here.

The Dutch have a long and proud military history going back to at least the 16th century and even earlier if one considers the “Batavians”—fierce tribes who lived around the Rhine, in today’s the Netherlands—who were described by Tacitus as “the bravest of the tribes of the area, hardened in the Germanic border wars.” Dutch sailors and soldiers—straight and gay, I am sure—fought honorably, heroically and victoriously in an “Eighty-Year War” (1568-1648) and helped...

A retired Marine general, John J. Sheehan, told senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Dutch Army failed to protect the city of Srebrenica during the Bosnian war ”partly because of the presence of gay soldiers in its armed forces,” according to the Washington Post. Sheehan, a NATO commander who retired in 1997, made these comments during hearings on “don’t ask, don’t tell” today. Senator Levin sharply questioned the general’s remarks, sources, accuracy and...

Politico has just announced that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has released the first set of Congressional Budget Office numbers to reporters this morning. According to Politico: The bill would cost $940 billion, and reduce the deficit by $130 billion over the first 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the second 10 years. The deficit numbers Democrats have been most worried about, and will be key to convincing moderates to coming on board with the bill. More details here UPDATE: According...

It is my impression that, for whatever reasons, politicians and government officials (including ex-politicians—if one could ever find one of those— and ex-government officials) are more open and candid when giving interviews to foreign correspondents. A couple of weeks ago, I commented on “one of the most interesting and candid interviews that a foreign newspaper has conducted with one of our politicians recently.” It was an interview that Tom-Jan Meeus, Washington correspondent...

I first heard of “Agent Rose” when she celebrated a birthday at her home in North Somerset, England, on February 3, 2009. The title of the BBC News story then was “War heroine toasts 104th birthday.” This morning, I read about her again. Sadly, the headline read, “Andrée Peel, Rescuer of Allied Airmen, Dies at 105.” Andrée Peel was Agent Rose, a French resistance heroine who helped save more than 100 American and British airmen shot down by the Germans over European skies during...

When debating an issue, one can always impress the opponent—and oftentimes win the argument—by citing lots of numbers and statistics. I was thus extremely “impressed” when Rush Limbaugh, in defense of the Iraq war, brought up the following statistics in an August 2006 radio talk show: Now, the number of highway deaths in this country, 43,443 in 2005, is 40 to 50 times our troop losses in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Well, ten or 20 times at least. And a whole lot more deaths per...

Almost eleven years ago, U.S. and other allied troops entered Kosovo following a nearly three-month-long air campaign—Operation Allied Force—by the U.S. and the Air Forces of its NATO allies and which included the first participation in combat by the German Air Force since World War II. The bombing campaign—which also included the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles—and the subsequent invasion followed extensive but fruitless diplomatic-military condemnations, initiatives and...

On February 20, 2010 the Dutch coalition government collapsed over disagreements within the government on extending the Dutch military presence in Afghanistan beyond December 1, 2010. Nearly 2000 Dutch troops will be coming home by the December date. It was a political decision. On March 18, 2003, the Bush administration began the invasion of Iraq. Well over one million of our troops were to serve in Iraq. Approximately 100,000 are still there. That was also a political decision. So, “what’s...

As Democrats get ready to perhaps use that arcane, unprecedented, never-before-used, nuclear, cataclysmic, perhaps even unconstitutional reconciliation process to pass health care reform, the angst and misinformation about this Senate procedure is reaching a crescendo. Just this morning, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” warned “To do this is just very, very dangerous,” and “If we do that, Katie bar the door, I got to tell you.” The New York Times, in an “Op-Chart”...

A couple of days ago, I posted a piece called “Health Care Reform: Those ‘Irreconcilable Differences.’” The post basically conveyed my opinion that just as our legislators—mostly Democrats, with some Republican support—stepped up to the plate in 1935 and 1965, and enacted Social Security and Medicare, respectively, Democrats today must act similarly on health care reform, given that: Democrats honestly believe that Americans (especially the 30 million uninsured ones) indeed deserve...

Can girls, do girls, coerce boys into committing sexual acts? According to a study to be published shortly in a Dutch scientific publication, the answer is “yes.” As a matter of fact, under the sub-heading, “Girls are just as bad,” the Dutch NRC Handelsblad reports: The scientists were surprised to find that more than 10 percent of all boys and 8 percent of all girls had ever forced someone to commit a sexual act against their will. “The girls are almost just as bad as the boys,” Hendriks...

I will not be reading Karl Rove’s upcoming blockbuster with the self-aggrandizing title, “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.” However, copies have been released to the press and there are enough previews of the book to satisfy my curiosity about what this man, affectionately called “turd blossom,” is trying to peddle. Furthermore, after watching this man—this brain—for eight years directly manipulate the President of the United States and, indirectly,...

In an Editorial last Friday, USA Today discussed how the health summit exposed “irreconcilable differences” between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of health care reform. It said in part: That at least makes it clear where reform goes from here. Obama and his party have three choices: They can give up and blame GOP intransigence. They can try to settle for the same sort of incremental changes made after President Clinton’s health reform effort failed in 1994. Or they can try to...

The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad is one of my favorite European newspapers and I read it religiously. However, I did not read today’s edition and if I had not checked the internet, I would have missed one of the most interesting and candid interviews that a foreign newspaper has conducted with one of our politicians recently. The Handelsblad’s Tom-Jan Meeus conducted a wide-ranging interview with former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo in Colorado. To whet our interest, the article in...